Field
The invention generally relates to medical devices and surgical procedures, and particularly medical devices and methods used for preparing a patient's body to receive a bodily implant.
Description of the Related Art
Mesh erosion can be a side effect after mesh repair, especially for female pelvic prolapse. Mesh, for example of an implant, erodes out of the tissues where it is originally implanted and thus, prevents curing/healing of tissues. One cause of mesh erosion may be that the tissue layer for mesh placement is incorrect.
In some procedures, an operator dissects the tissue layer and creates a pocket or space for placing the mesh, for example, in between the vagina and the bladder. The pocket/space is required because there is no space for mesh placement in a normal tissue. The operator identifies a position and makes an incision of about 2-3 cm in length inside the vagina. Then the operator inserts a finger to find way through the incision and keeps dissecting it till the layer is felt appropriate for creating the pocket. In this manner, the operator gets a hypothetical idea about the layer to be dissected for creating the pocket. In such cases, it is understood by the operator that dissecting the tissue layer too close to the vagina sides can cause mesh erosion through the vagina after placement of the mesh. Typically, identification of the erosion happens when a patient starts facing problems after one to three months of the mesh implant. On the contrary, it is also understood that dissection of the tissue layer at a deeper location may result in damage or perforation to the bladder. Therefore, an operator shall dissect at a proper depth for the prevention of the erosion and damage to the bladder.
In both the cases of close and deep dissection, the operator relies on his hypothesis and experience to identify the depth of the tissue layer for dissection. However, the operator cannot identify a fixed location within the tissue layer confidently, and therefore it results in mesh erosion some time after its placement.
In light of the above, there is a need for a medical device and a method that may assist the operator to conduct dissection at a predefined location. Thus, a medical device and a procedure that controls the depth of insertion to the predefined location inside the tissue layer are required.